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• Dom Rep's Moca hangs tough to deny Jamaica's Harbour View Champions Cup berth

  Moca FC of the Dominican Republic qualified for the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup after playing to a 1-1 stalemate with Jamaican side Harbour View in the second leg of the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup Third-Place playoff at the Estadio Cibao in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, on Tuesday night.

  The result earned Moca a 3-2 victory on aggregate and passage to Round One of the 2024 Champions Cup. It is their first Champions Cup qualification.

  There was not much in the way of chances in the first 45 minutes. It was not until toward the end of the half that the best looks at goal arrived, and they were both for Moca. 

  Victor Sanchez was in on goal, but saw his effort denied by Harbour View's goalkeeper Anthony Bennett. That was quickly followed by a swerving, dipping shot from Sebastian Valencia that sliced wide of net.

  Harbour View started carving out some chances for themselves in the second half, and Andre Fagan could only shake his head in disbelief after he headed over the crossbar when left unmarked on a corner kick in the 56th.

  The "Stars of the East" kept pressing and their efforts bore fruit in the 64th, when a free kick was played deep into the Moca FC area, and Ajuma Johnson arrived at the far post to finish on the volley.

  Still requiring another goal due to Moca's away goal tiebreaker, Harbour View pushed for another, but Moca FC had other ideas and quickly evened the contest in the 68th, when a ball from Sebastian Valencia went through a sea of players.

  Harbour View doubled down on attack and Moca FC's goalkeeper Odalis Baez was summoned to make a big save in 78th from an Ajeanie Talbott effort. 

  Harbour View’s last push came in the waning seconds, and a mad scramble in front of goal saw a shot ring off the crossbar, before eventually being cleared by Moca's defence, as they were resolute in holding on to their aggregate advantage.

• On this day in 2005: Dame Kelly Holmes announces retirement

  Double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes announced her retirement from athletics on this day in 2005.

  Holmes had been a regular medallist at middle distance events, including winning bronze over 800 metres at the Sydney Olympics, but injuries had stopped her from hitting the heights until the Athens Games came along in 2004.

  At the age of 34, the Kent runner achieved her dream by securing gold in the 800m before claiming her second gold a few days later over 1,500m.

  Holmes had planned to bow out at the Commonwealth Games in 2006 but brought forward her retirement plans.

  The former army sergeant revealed at a press conference she had been badly affected by the death of a man she met while visiting her physiotherapist in Ireland.

  She said: “I met a guy in Ireland called Tim O’Brian, a friend of my physio Gerard Hartmann. We met for lunch and he was full of life. I went back to South Africa and heard two days later from Gerard that he only had four weeks to live.

  “He died only a few weeks ago of cancer. I was totally shocked, overwhelmed and uncontrollable in terms of my feelings. Something clicked in my mind. You never know where your life is going so why not make the most of everything?

  “I have achieved everything I ever wanted. I am a double Olympic champion. I have nothing to prove to anyone, including myself. I have done and surpassed what other people will continue to dream of.”

  Holmes hung up her spikes having won 12 major medals across a 10-year span, including Commonwealth golds over 1,500m in 1994 and 2002.

  Since retirement, Holmes has mentored young athletes, worked in TV and as a motivational speaker and written several books. She was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in the New Year’s Honours of 2005 and appointed Honorary Colonel of the Royal Armoured Corps Training Regiment in 2018.

• Reggae Girls fall short of Gold Cup prelims after 1-1 draw against Guatemala

  Jamaica's Reggae Girls fell short of their goal to qualify for the preliminary round of the Concacaf Women Gold Cup following their 1-1 draw against Guatemala in the final match of Group B of League A of the Road to W Gold Cup on Sunday night at the Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

  The result also means that Panama have finished in first-place in the group and have qualified for the W Gold Cup group stage. Guatemala will progress to the Prelims, while Jamaica finish in third.

  Jamaica came out strong early and almost snuck in a goal through Davia Richards, but instead it was Guatemala breaking the deadlock in the 10^th minute.  Ana Martinez was taken down in the Jamaica penalty area and it was Martinez who converted from the spot to hand the home side a 1-0 lead.

  That was followed later in the half by a buzzing chance from Andrea Alvarez from 40 yards out that forced Jamaica’s goalkeeper Serena Mensah to make a leaping save with her fingertipping the ball to safety.

   Jamaica were keen to get back on even footing and a long ball played up to the Guatemalan half led to a mix-up between a pair of defenders, allowing Davia Richards to swoop in and score to level things at 1-1 in minute 66.

   But the Guatemalan defense would hold firm the rest of the way to secure the necessary result to earn their prelims place.